Manufacturing system and apparatus for balanced product flow with application to low-stress underfilling of flip-chip electronic devices

ABSTRACT

A system ( 100 ) for manufacturing product, in which a first work station ( 101 ) is operable to perform a first manufacturing action on the product parts; this first station has a first entrance ( 101   a ) and a first exit  101   b ). A second work station ( 102 ) is operable to perform a second manufacturing action on the product parts; this second station has a second entrance ( 102   a ) and a second exit ( 102   b ). A transport line ( 103 ) between the first exit and the second entrance is operable to move the product parts under computer control. A chamber ( 104 ) encloses a portion of the line and is constructed so that the transport achieves a balanced throughput from the first station to the second station, while the product parts are exposed to computer-controlled environmental conditions ( 110 ) during transport through the chamber. The balanced throughput in the chamber is achieved by waiting lines for the product with computer-controlled monitors ( 105   a ) for product parts&#39; positions and times in the chamber.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related in general to the field of electronicsystems and semiconductor devices and more specifically to an apparatusfor enhancing process control and reducing thermomechanical stress inthe assembly of semiconductor devices.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

When an integrated circuit (IC) chip is assembled on an insulatingsubstrate with conducting lines, such as a printed circuit board, bysolder bump connections, the chip is spaced apart from the substrate bythe bumps, thereby forming a gap between the chip and substrate. The ICchip is typically a semiconductor such as silicon, silicon germanium, orgallium arsenide, the substrate is usually made of ceramic orpolymer-based materials such as FR-4. Consequently, there is asignificant difference between the coefficients of thermal expansion(CTE) of the chip and the substrate; for instance, with silicon (about2.5 ppm/° C.) as the semiconductor material and plastic FR-4 (about 25ppm/° C.) as substrate material, the difference in CTE is substantiallyan order of magnitude. As a consequence of this CTE difference,thermomechanical stresses are created at the solder interconnections,especially in the regions of the joints, when the assembly is subjectedto temperature cycling during device usage or reliability testing. Thesestresses tend to fatigue the joints and the bumps, resulting in cracksand eventual failure of the assembly.

In order to distribute the mechanical stress and to strengthen thesolder joints without affecting the electrical connection, the gapbetween the semiconductor chip and the substrate is customarily filledwith a polymeric material, which encapsulates the bumps and fills thegap. For example, in the well-known “C-4” process developed byInternational Business Machines Corporation, polymeric material is usedto fill the gap between the silicon chip and the ceramic substrate.

The encapsulant is typically applied after the solder bumps haveundergone the reflow process and formed the metallic joints forelectrical contact between the IC chip and the substrate. A viscouspolymeric precursor, sometimes referred to as the “underfill”, isdispensed onto the substrate adjacent to the chip and is pulled into thegap by capillary forces. The precursor is then heated, polymerized and“cured” to form the encapsulant.

It is well known in the industry that the temperature cycling needed forthis curing process can create thermomechanical stress on its own, whichmay be detrimental to the chip and/or the solder interconnections. Forexample, the stress created by a cooling step after reflow just prior tothe underfill process, and by cooling after the underfill curing stepmay delaminate the solder joint, crack the passivation of the chip, orpropagate fractures into the circuit structures. In general, thesensitivity to cracking of the layered structures of integrated circuitsincreases strongly with decreasing thickness of the various layers andincreasing mechanical weakness of low dielectric constant insulators.

Consequently, a need has arisen for an assembly methodology in which thestress-distributing benefits of the underfill material can be enjoyedwithout the deleterious side-effects of the underfilling process,resulting in enhanced device reliability. The methodology should becoherent, low-cost, and flexible enough to be applied to differentsemiconductor product families and a wide spectrum of design and processvariations. Preferably, these innovations should be accomplished whileshortening production cycle time and increasing throughput. Newequipment design should be general enough to provide a fabricationadvantage for the product at various steps of the process flow.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of the invention is a system for manufacturing a product,in which a first work station is operable to perform a firstmanufacturing action on the unfinished product piece parts; this firststation has a first entrance and a first exit. A second work station isoperable to perform a second manufacturing action on the product parts;this second station has a second entrance and a second exit. A producttransport line between the first exit and the second entrance isoperable to move the product parts under computer control. A chamberencloses a portion of the line and is constructed so that the transportachieves a balanced throughput from the first station to the secondstation, while the product parts are exposed to computer-controlledenvironmental conditions during transport through the chamber.

The transport line comprises a mechanical system with movable platformsor pallets for holding the product parts. The balanced throughput in thechamber is achieved by waiting lines for the product parts withcomputer-controlled monitors for tracking the position and time of partsin the chamber. An example of such products is semiconductor devices.

Another embodiment of the invention is a chamber for receiving, storing,transmitting and releasing manufactured products; this chamber may beinserted into the manufacturing flow at various stages of productfabrication. The chamber maintains specified environments, such asgaseous ambient, humidity, and temperature. The chamber hascomputer-controlled inlets and outlets with sensors, and a transportsystem connecting inlets and outlets. The transport system includesmovable platforms suitable for transporting product or parts; the systemis designed to create waiting lines for the product parts loaded on theplatforms by the use of horizontally rotating carousels, or verticallyrotating wheels, or elongated conveyor systems. Computer-controlledmonitors track the position and time of the platforms to achieve abalanced throughput.

Another embodiment of the invention is a method for stress-reducedassembly of a semiconductor device including a chip having at least onecontact pad and a substrate having at least one terminal pad. First, thesubstrate is placed on a pallet; and a reflow element, such as a solderball, is attached to the chip contact pad. The chip is then flipped ontothe substrate so that the reflow element is placed in contact with thesubstrate terminal pad. Second, the pallet is moved into a firstworkstation suitable to perform reflow operations, where thermal energyis applied to chip and substrate to reflow the solder ball, creating anassembly of chip and substrate spaced apart by a gap. The palletincluding the assembly is then transferred from the first workstationinto a first chamber maintained at a constant first temperature; and thepallet is positioned in a waiting line for a first period of time.

On command, the pallet is withdrawn from said waiting line and movedinto a second workstation suitable to perform underfill operations,where the assembly gap is filled with a polymer precursor. Next, thepallet including the filled assembly is moved from the secondworkstation into a second chamber maintained at a constant secondtemperature sufficient to partially polymerize the precursor; the palletis positioned in a waiting line for a second period of time.

On command, the pallet is withdrawn from the waiting line and moved intoa third workstation suitable to complete the polymerization of theprecursor, where the precursor is completely polymerized. Finally, thecompleted assembly is cooled to ambient temperature. All heating andcooling steps are performed at computer-controlled ramp rates. Thetemperature ramps, together with the constant temperature waitingperiods, are designed to relieve thermomechanical stress.

Embodiments of the present invention are related to solder-ball andbump-bonded IC assemblies, semiconductor device packages, surface mountand chip-scale packages. It is a technical advantage that the inventionoffers a flexible and high-throughput assembly methodology resulting invery low-stress, reliable products. It is an additional technicaladvantage that the invention uses a chamber for balancing the productionline flow, which is general enough in its concept and features that itpermits insertion into the production flow at various stages of theflow. Further technical advantages include the opportunity to scale theassembly to smaller dimensions and mechanically weaker materials,supporting the ongoing trend of IC miniaturization, and to distributethe chip contacts more evenly over the chip area rather than restrictingthe contacts to a linear arrangement along the chip perimeters,supporting the ongoing trend towards higher input/output count.

The technical advantages represented by certain embodiments of theinvention will become apparent from the following description of thepreferred embodiments of the invention, when considered in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings and the novel features set forth in theappended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a portion of the manufacturing systemand apparatus for balanced product flow according to an embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross section of a chamber for receiving, storing,transmitting and releasing manufactured product according to anotherembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic top view of a chamber for receiving, storing,transmitting and releasing manufactured product according to anotherembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic top view of a chamber for receiving, storing,transmitting and releasing manufactured product according to yet anotherembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 shows a more detailed schematic cross section of a chamber forreceiving, storing, transmitting and releasing manufactured product.

FIG. 6 depicts an assembly process flow for semiconductor devices,including two storage chambers, according to an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 7 shows the temperature profile versus time of the assembly flow ofa product moving through the stages displayed in FIG. 6; for comparison,the temperature profile of a product moving through the conventionalassembly stages displayed in FIG. 8, is also shown.

FIG. 8 depicts an assembly process flow for semiconductor devicesaccording to conventional technology.

FIG. 9 is a schematic process flow diagram of an embodiment of theinvention applied to low-stress underfilling of flip-chip electronicdevices.

FIG. 10 compares the modeled stress in low-k interlevel dielectrics,exerted by process temperatures in the assembly of semiconductordevices, for different assembly stages.

FIG. 11A is a schematic top view of a plurality of solder balls showingparameters used in stress modeling.

FIG. 11B compares the geometrical variation of modeled stress in low-kinterlevel dielectrics, exerted by process temperatures for differentassembly stages of semiconductor devices.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is related to U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,347, issued Apr.10, 2001, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,228,680, issued May 8, 2001 (Thomas, “LowStress Method and Apparatus for Underfilling Flip-Chip ElectronicDevices”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,245,583, issued Jun. 12, 2001 (Amador etal., “Low Stress Method and Apparatus of Underfilling Flip-ChipElectronic Devices”).

To illustrate an embodiment of the invention, FIG. 1 depictsschematically a group 100 of workstations and other systems as they arearranged consecutively to form a portion of the fabrication process flowfor certain products. The direction of the manufacturing flow isindicated in FIG. 1 by the dashed arrows 103. An example of such productand fabrication flow in semiconductor technology is the assembly ofintegrated circuit chips onto substrates using the flip-chip process.

In FIG. 1, a first workstation 101 has a first entry 101 a and a firstexit 101 b. Workstation 101 serves to perform a specific manufacturingaction on the product. In the technology of semiconductor devicefabrication the action may, for example, be the reflowing of solderinterconnections. A second workstation 102 has a second entry 102 a anda second exit 102 b. Workstation 102 serves to perform another specificmanufacturing action on the product, subsequent to the action ofworkstation 101. In the technology of semiconductor device fabrication,the action may, for example be the dispensing of underfill precursors.

Product transport line 103 connects first exit 101 b and second entry102 a. The transport line provides means to move product parts from exit101 b to entry 102 a under computer control; for example, transport line103 may be a mechanical rail line operable to move pallets or platformsholding the workpieces. For instance, the product parts loaded onto thepallets may be semiconductor device parts, which need to undergofabrication steps.

Chamber 104 encloses the portion 103 a of transport line 103. Chamber104 has an entry 104 a, which faces the exit 101 b of first workstation101, and an exit 104 b, which faces the entry 102 a of secondworkstation 102. This chamber 104 provides an environment 110 for theline portion 103 a, which is under computer-controlled conditions.Examples for these environmental conditions include gaseous ambient,gaseous pressure, humidity, and temperature (more detail see FIGS. 2 to4). Furthermore, the transport line 103 a within chamber 104 isstructured and computer-controlled to achieve a balanced, coordinatedthroughput of parts from first workstation exit 101 b to secondworkstation entrance 102 a. One feature of the transport line is theformation of waiting lines for the product parts within chamber 104;another feature is that they may facilitate certain fabrication steps,which have as a characteristic feature the time spent under definedenvironmental conditions such as temperature. Several examples ofsuitable transport line configurations are described in FIGS. 2 to 4.

The balanced-line transport through chamber 104 is maintained bymonitors, which sense specific conditions such as the temperature and/orthe concentration of gases released in polymerization processes.Schematically, a few monitors are exemplified by 105 a, 105 b, 105 c,and 105 d in chamber 104 of FIG. 1. These monitors are controlled bycomputers and provide data and feedback to computers.

Another embodiment of the invention is a chamber for receiving, storing,transmitting and releasing manufactured product; the chamber isconstructed so that it may be inserted into the manufacturing flow atvarious stages of product fabrication, sometimes with minor variationsof one or more of its characteristics. Examples of suitable chambers aredepicted in the schematic FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. The black arrows in eachchamber indicate the general direction of the product flow through thechamber from its respective entry to its respective exit.

Referring now to FIG. 2, it shows a schematic cross sectional view ofchamber 204 with entry 204 a and exit 204 b. A product transport lineconnects entry 204 a and exit 204 b. In FIG. 2, the product transportline through the chamber is indicated in three sections: Sections 203 aand 203 c may comprise linear portions, or may have another outline, andsection 203 b is a product waiting portion. This example of waitingportion 203 b is a wheel rotatable vertically around axis 230 (which isperpendicular to the plane of wheel 203 b). The transport system mayhave movable platforms, or pallets, suitable for transporting theproduct parts.

When a product unit or part (for instance, product on a pallet) 220 ahas moved from entry 204 a to wheel 203 b, it may access a position onthe wheel and spend a pre-determined amount of time on the rotatingwheel; in FIG. 2, several more product parts or units 220 b, 220 c,etc., are indicated. The wheel and its product holders 221 accommodatethe product parts as they enter chamber 204. Position and dwell time foreach product or part is monitored by sensors, which feed back data tothe computer in control of the waiting time. A few sensors 205 areschematically indicated in FIG. 2. The monitored position and dwell timedata of the product units are inputs needed to enable acomputer-balanced product throughput through chamber 204. In order toadd flexibility, some chambers may have multiple wheels, possiblyrotatable at different speeds.

A variety of additional features make chamber 204 flexible for insertioninto various stages of product fabrication. In applications where theproduct is a semiconductor device and the fabrication process is theassembly of an integrated circuit chip onto a substrate, or the assemblyof a packaged device onto a substrate, chamber 204 may feature anenvironment of computer-controlled gaseous ambient, gaseous pressure,and humidity; furthermore, chamber 204 may provide computer-controlledtemperature. These environmental conditions may stay constant or maychange in a predetermined fashion or rhythm. In FIG. 2, theseenvironmental conditions are generally designated 210.

FIG. 3 shows a top view of chamber 304 with entry 304 a and exit 304 b.A transport line connects entry 304 a and exit 304 b. In FIG. 3, theproduct transport line through the chamber is indicated in threesections. Sections 303 a and 303 c may comprise linear portions, or mayhave another outline, and section 303 b is a product waiting portion.Waiting portion 303 b of this embodiment is a carousel rotatinghorizontally around axis 330 (which is perpendicular to the plane ofcarousel 303 b). The transport system may have movable platforms, orpallets, suitable for transporting the product parts.

When a product part or unit (for instance, product on a pallet) 320 ahas moved from entry 304 a to carousel 303 b, it may access the carouseland spend a pre-determined amount of time on the rotating carousel; inFIG. 3, several more product units 320 b, 320 c, etc., are indicated.The carousel accommodates the specific products intended for chamber304. Position and dwell time for each product is monitored by sensors,which feed back data to the computer in control of the waiting time. Afew sensors 305 are schematically indicated in FIG. 3. The monitoredposition and dwell time data of the product units are inputs needed toenable a computer-balanced product throughput through chamber 304. Inorder to add flexibility, some chambers may have multiple carousels,possibly rotatable at different speeds.

Similar to the embodiment described in FIG. 2, a variety of additionalfeatures make chamber 304 in FIG. 3 flexible for insertion into variousstages of product fabrication. In applications where the product is asemiconductor device and the fabrication process the assembly of anintegrated circuit chip onto a substrate, or the assembly of a packageddevice onto a substrate, chamber 304 may feature an environment ofcomputer-controlled gaseous ambient, gaseous pressure, and humidity;furthermore, chamber 304 may provide computer-controlled temperature.These environmental conditions may stay constant or may change in apredetermined fashion or rhythm. In FIG. 3, these environmentalconditions are generally designated 310.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic top view of another apparatus for receiving,storing, transmitting and releasing manufactured products or parts. Theapparatus is suitable for insertion into the manufacturing flow atvarious stages of product fabrication. In terms of chamber capabilitiesand flexibility, the apparatus of FIG. 4 is similar to the embodimentsdiscussed in FIGS. 2 and 3.

In terms of product storage, however, the apparatus of FIG. 4 comprisesa plurality of linear, yet long product waiting lines. Referring to FIG.4, the chamber 404 has a product transport line 403 connecting thecomputer-controlled entry 404 a and exit 404 b. After entering thechamber, a product or part is transported along a first conveyor 403 a.It then enters the waiting portion 403 b of the transport line, which isdesigned as a plurality of linear stretches 430, which can store movableplatforms, or pallets, loaded with product or parts for anypre-determined period of time. These line portions have the option ofmoving as a conveyor belt. For embodiments with multiple line portions,each belt may move at a different speed. On command, the product finallyleaves the chamber on the third conveyor 403 c and the exit door 404 b.Position and time of stay are computer-controlled. The monitorssupplying data to the computer are generally designated 405. Theenvironmental conditions 410 of the chamber include computer-controlledgaseous ambient, pressure, and humidity, as well as temperature.

An embodiment of the apparatus of FIG. 4, inserted into a semiconductordevice assembly line between a reflow oven 501 and an underfill dispenseequipment 502, is illustrated schematically in FIG. 5 (several types ofreflow ovens and underfill dispensing systems are commerciallyavailable; for the preferred underfill techniques, see the U.S. Patensquoted above). Conveyor 503 is operable to deliver pallets 504 for anautomatic transfer into the heated chamber 510. A position sensor 505,which is mounted on the output conveyor 503 of the reflow oven, detectsthe presence of incoming pallet units, such as pallet 504. The sensortransmits an electrical signal to the computer 520 controlling chamber510. A trap door 511 swings open to allow direct transfer of the pallet504 from the output conveyor 503 of reflow oven 501 onto the inputconveyor 512 of chamber 510. Trap door 511 closes once the transfer ofpallet 504 is complete. Chamber 510 is characterized by controlledambient and controlled temperature (preferably an elevated temperature,see FIG. 7).

From the input conveyor 512, pallet 506 is transferred to the centralconveyor 513. In the embodiment of FIG. 5, central conveyor 513 hasbi-directional movement, so that incoming pallets can be placedimmediately (keeping the input conveyor clear to receive the nextavailable pallet), and the first-in pallet 507 can be placed onto theoutput conveyor 514 on demand. Trap door 515 swings open to allow directtransfer of pallet 508 from output conveyor 514 of chamber 510 ontoinput conveyor 509 of underfill dispense equipment 502. Trap door 515closes once transfer is complete (of the tools inside the underfilldispense equipment, FIG. 5 shows only preheat stage 502 a). Positionsensor 530, mounted above preheat stage 502 a, detects availability toreceive the next pallet. Sensor 530 transits an electrical signal tocomputer 520 controlling chamber 510. By means of data feedback andcomputer control, the system of FIG. 5 establishes a balanced productflow and fabrication time flexibility.

The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6, schematically showing the solderreflow and device underfill fabrication system, is arranged so that thecorresponding temperature vs. time profile can be displayed in FIG. 7.Starting with the pick-and-place equipment 601 at ambient temperature(curve portion 701), the product parts move to the reflow oven 602 andundergoes the reflow process. The reflow process is schematicallydepicted as having a heat-up cycle in two stages 702 a and 702 b,followed by a partial cool down cycle 703, together stretching theperiod from Time t1 to Time t2 (the actual heating and cooling cyclesdepend on the reflow material selected). The partial cooldowntemperature 703 a is preferably 90 to 120° C., significantly aboveambient temperature.

The product parts remain a considerable period of time at thetemperature, which it has reached at point 703 a: First, the flexibleperiod of time from t2 to t3, which the product parts spend in firstchamber 603 (the attributes of chamber 603 are described in more detailin conjunction with FIG. 5); then the period of time from t3 to t4,which the product needs for receiving the underfill precursor in thedispense equipment 604; and finally the period of time from t4 to t5,which the product spends in second chamber 605 (the attributes ofchamber 605 are similar to the features described in FIG. 5). Theproduct enters the underfill cure oven 606 and spends the time periodfrom t5 to t6 at a somewhat elevated temperature 705 (dependent on theunderfill material selected) in order to fully polymerize the underfillprecursor. After leaving the cure oven 606, the product temperature iscooled to ambient temperature in ramp cycle 706.

In FIG. 7, the technical advantage of the time/temperature diagram(solid curve) achieved by the embodiment of FIG. 6 is contrasted withthe time/temperature diagram (dotted curve) typical for conventionaltechnology. The latter diagram is characterized by deep cooling cyclesto ambient temperature, curve portions 710 and 711, and 712 and 713,respectively. These deep cooling cycles create thermo-mechanical stressin the solder joints and the adjacent dielectric material of suchmagnitude that these device zones are endangered by fracture and failure(see FIGS. 10 and 11). In FIG. 8, a typical example of an assemblyproduction line based on known technology is schematically depicted. Theproduct moves from the pick-and-place equipment 801 into the reflow oven802; the product may then wait in a staging line to be cooled to ambienttemperature. After receiving the underfill precursor in the dispenseequipment 804, the product may wait again in a staging line to be cooledto ambient temperature. The underfill precursor is polymerized in cureoven 806, before the completed product is finally cooled to ambienttemperature.

Another embodiment of the present invention is a method forstress-reduced assembly of a semiconductor device. The device maycomprise an integrated circuit chip flip-assembled on a substrate, or ismay comprise a packaged unit attached to a substrate by reflowconnections. An example of this method is schematically illustrated theprocess flow diagram of FIG. 9.

One input to the process flow is piece part 901 consisting of asemiconductor chip having at least one contact pad; an example is asilicon integrated circuit with a metal pad having a solderable orweldable surface; another example is a packaged semiconductor devicewith a metal pad having a solderable surface. Preferred solderablesurfaces include nickel or palladium surfaces. Another input is piecepart 902 consisting of a reflowable element such as a solder ball or atin bump. Preferred reflowable elements, or connectors, are made oftin/silver, tin/bismuth, or tin/lead. Another input is piece part 903consisting of a substrate having at least one terminal pad with asolderable surface; a preferred example is an FR-4 printed circuit boardwith a gold-clad copper pad. Another input is piece part 904 consistingof a movable platform suitable for transporting a semiconductor device;an example is a pallet.

In process step 905, the reflow element 902 is attached to the contactpad of chip 901; the preferred attachment technique is reflowing theconnector element onto the pad. In step 906, the substrate 903 is placedon pallet 904.

In step 907, chip 901 with the attached reflow element 902 is flippedonto substrate 903, located on pallet 904, so that reflow element 902 isplaced in contact with the terminal pad of substrate 903. In the nextstep, the pallet is moved into the first workstation 908. Thisworkstation is an apparatus suitable to perform reflow operations; apreferred apparatus is a computer-controlled reflow oven with automaticchain-link throughput. In this first workstation 908, thermal energy issupplied to chip 901 and substrate 903 on the pallet in an amountsufficient to reflow the element 902. This step 909 of solder meltingcreates an assembly of chip 901 and substrate 902 spaced apart by a gap,with the reflow connectors as spacing entities. While the connectors areallowed to solidify in the first workstation 908, their temperatureshould not drop significantly below the melting temperature, definitelynot to room temperature.

Without delay, the pallet loaded with the chip/substrate assembly istransferred from workstation 908 into the first chamber 910. During thistransfer, the temperature of the chip/substrate assembly will not dropsubstantially. First chamber 910 is constructed like one of theapparatus described in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4. The newly arrived pallet ispositioned in a waiting line for a first period of time. During thiswaiting period of time, the temperature of the assembly is constant andmaintained at a level such that there is little build-up ofthermo-mechanical stress at the solder joints of the assembly. Positionof the pallet, temperature, environmental conditions, and time aremonitored by sensors and controlled by computer.

In the next process step, the pallet with the assembly are withdrawnfrom the waiting line in first chamber 910 and moved into a secondworkstation 911. This workstation is an apparatus suitable to performunderfilling operations; a preferred apparatus consists of an ambient-and temperature-controlled chamber with computer-controlled syringesdesigned in positions and nozzles openings to dispense underfillprecursors at a pre-determined rate. In step 912, the precursor fillsthe gaps of the chip/substrate assembly by capillary force at acontrolled rate. Preferred underfill precursors include polymers such asacid anhydride epoxy or cyanoester; for these polymers, the temperatureof the chip/substrate assembly should preferably be in the range from 90to 120° C.

After the underfilling process, the pallet with the filled assembly istransferred from the second workstation 911 into a second chamber 913.The second chamber 913 is constructed like one of the apparatusdescribed in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4. The newly arrived pallet is positionedin a waiting line for a second period of time. During this waitingperiod of time, the temperature of the assembly is constant andmaintained at a level sufficient to at least partially polymerize theunderfill polymer precursor. Position of the pallet, temperature,environmental conditions, and time are monitored by sensors andcontrolled by computer.

Next, the pallet loaded with the underfilled assembly is withdrawn fromthe waiting line and moved into a third workstation 914 suitable tocomplete the polymerization of the underfill polymer. Process step 915indicates the completion of the polymerization (often referred to aspolymer curing) and thus the assembly of the flip-chip onto thesubstrate.

The completed assembly exits the third workstation 914 and is cooled instep 916 to ambient temperature. During the whole process flow of FIG.9, the heating and cooling steps are performed at computer-controlledramp rates and waiting times to avoid the build-up of thermo-mechanicalstress, or to relieve existing stress. The completed assembly is finallyready for shipment (917).

The technical advantage of the assembly process flow as illustrated inFIG. 9, wherein the temperature profile is computer-controlled and adrop to ambient temperature after one or more process steps is avoided,can be corroborated by finite-element modeling of the thermo-mechanicalstress distribution in solder joints and adjacent dielectric materials.

In FIG. 10, the average tensile stress, measured in mega-pascals, MPa,of a solder connection is plotted for three stages in the assemblyprocess: Stage 1001 is the stress value after the chip has been solderattached to the substrate and cooled from reflow temperature to ambienttemperature, before underfilling. Stage 1002 is the stress value afterthe chip has been solder attached to the substrate and cooled fromreflow temperature to about 90° C., before underfilling. Stage 1003 isthe stress value after the chip has been solder attached to thesubstrate, cooled to only 90° C., underfilled, cured, cooled to ambienttemperature, and operated under operating conditions. Dotted line 1010marks the approximate maximum tensile strength, which typical low-kinterlevel dielectric materials, as used in advanced integratedcircuits, can tolerate; as can be seen in FIG. 10, the tensile strengthlimit is about 105 MPa. This means that, for the process leading toStage 1, there is a significant risk of interlevel dielectric layercracking, because this process encounters stress levels considerablyhigher than the material tolerance. On the other hand, the embodimentsof the invention, leading to Stage 2, avoid this risk.

FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrate modeling results for specifically selectedsolder balls of a chip to be assembled to a substrate; these modelingresults corroborate the advantage of the apparatus and methodembodiments of the invention. FIG. 11A displays a plurality of solderballs attached to a semiconductor chip; the solder ball closest to thechip corner is designated 1101 (corner ball). The tensile stress exertedon these solder balls at various stages of assembly and temperatureexposures is calculated along a line reaching from the chip center tothe chip corner. Along this line are several solder balls, including theextreme corner ball 1101, and points A and B. For point A, an x-ycoordinate system is marked for reference.

In FIG. 11 b, the calculated tensile stress (expressed in MPa) isplotted as a function of the distance to point A along the x-axis(expressed in μm). The stress is calculated for three fabricationsituations: Curve 1110 marks the stress at ambient temperature aftercooling from the reflow temperature and before the step of underfilling(conventional fabrication method). Curve 1111 marks the stress at 90° C.maintained after reflow temperature and before the underfilling step(method of the invention). Curve 1112 marks the stress under operatingconditions after completion of the assembly. Line 1113 indicates theapproximate stress limit (about 105 MPa) of the low-k dielectricmaterials, which are used as inter-level insulators in high-speedadvanced integrated circuits.

It is evident from curve 1110 that there are risk zones close to thechip corner, where the stress created by temperature swings in theconventional fabrication process exceeds the tensile strength of ICdielectrics. Consequently, it is probable that cohesive cracking of theinter-level dielectric will occur within this stress zone. Thisdangerous stress peak and the risk of cracking are especially pronouncedin the vicinity of the corner solder connection 1101 in FIG. 11A.

While this invention has been described in reference to illustrativeembodiments, this description is not intended to be construed in alimiting sense. Various modifications and combinations of theillustrative embodiments, as well as other embodiments of the invention,will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to thedescription.

As an example, the process flow diagram of FIG. 9 can be applied toassembly processes wherein a packaged semiconductor device issubstituted for the IC chip shown in FIG. 9. Consequently, thisembodiment of the invention applies to ball grid array packages,chip-scale packages, and chip-size packages.

It is therefore intended that the appended claims encompass all suchmodifications and embodiments.

1. A system for manufacturing a product, said system comprising: a firstworkstation operable to perform a first manufacturing action on parts ofsaid product, said first station having a first entrance and a firstexit; a second workstation operable to perform a second manufacturingaction on said product parts, said second station having a secondentrance and a second exit; a product transport line between said firstexit and said second entrance, said line operable to move said productparts under computer control; and a chamber enclosing a portion of saidtransport line, including means for providing a balanced, coordinatedthroughput from said first station to said second station, and means forexposing said product parts to computer controlled environmentalconditions while being transported through said chamber.
 2. The systemaccording to claim 1 wherein said transport line comprises a mechanicalsystem including movable platforms suitable for holding said productparts.
 3. The system according to claim 2 wherein said product partscomprises semiconductor devices.
 4. The system according to claim 1wherein said balanced throughput comprises waiting lines for saidproduct parts and computer-controlled monitors for product position andtime in said chamber.
 5. An apparatus for receiving, storing,transmitting, and releasing manufactured products, said apparatussuitable for insertion into the manufacturing flow at various stages ofproduct fabrication, comprising: a chamber for maintaining specifiedenvironments; said chamber having a computer-controlled entry and exit;a transport system connecting said entry and exit, said system includingmovable platforms suitable for transporting said product, said systemdesigned to create waiting lines for said product loaded on saidplatforms; and computer-controlled monitors for position and time ofsaid platforms, said monitors operable to achieve a balanced productthroughput through said chamber.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 5wherein said chamber environments include computer-controlled gaseousambient, humidity, and temperature.
 7. The apparatus according to claim5 wherein said product comprises semiconductor devices.
 8. The apparatusaccording to claim 5 wherein said waiting lines are structured ashorizontally rotatable carousels.
 9. The apparatus according to claim 5wherein said waiting lines are structured as vertically rotatablewheels.
 10. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said waitinglines are structured as elongated conveyor systems.
 11. The apparatusaccording to claim 5 wherein said inlets and outlets are supported bysensors feeding their observations back to said computer control.
 12. Amethod for stress-reduced assembly of a semiconductor device, includinga chip having at least one contact pad and a substrate having at leastone terminal pad, comprising the steps of: positioning said substrate ona pallet; attaching a reflow element to said chip contact pad; flippingsaid chip onto said substrate so that said reflow element is placed incontact with said substrate terminal pad; moving said pallet into afirst workstation, including means for performing reflow operations;supplying thermal energy to said chip and said substrate sufficient toreflow said element, thereby creating an assembly of chip and substratespaced apart by a gap; transferring said pallet including said assemblyfrom said first workstation into a first chamber maintained at aconstant first temperature, and positioning said pallet in a waitingline for a first period of time; withdrawing said pallet from saidwaiting line and moving said pallet into a second workstation includingmeans for performing underfill operations; filling said gap with apolymer precursor; transferring said pallet including said filledassembly from said second workstation into a second chamber maintainedat a constant second temperature sufficient to polymerize saidprecursor, and positioning said pallet in waiting line for a secondperiod of time; completely polymerizing said precursor; and withdrawingsaid pallet from said waiting line and cooling the completed assembly toambient temperature.
 13. The method according to claim 12 wherein saidheating and cooling steps are performed at computer-controlled ramprates to relieve thermo-mechanical stress.
 14. The method according toclaim 13 wherein said temperature ramps, together with said waitingtimes at constant temperature relieve thermomechanical stress.
 15. Themethod according to claim 12 wherein said step of polymerizing theprecursor is executed in two phases, a partial polymerization performedin said second workstation followed by a complete polymerization in athird workstation.